Understanding Blues Guitar: #4 Blues Trick: The MYTH of the Mixolydian Blues

[@merdan08]

In a couple of weeks, I've learned more from Ian than I have learned in my life. I've enrolled on his course (what great value for money) and am less than half way through the youtube blues premier playlist but am actually understanding it all. There's a long way to go but it's all coming together. A superb teacher.

[@fernforwood3989]

I’m finding that a lot of learning guitar & music, for me, is realizing it’s often not more complicated than I had assumed, but a lot of people seem to complicate the shit out of it.

[@dumpstercat2229]

I think its guitarists who want to make people think the are doing more than they actually are. I used to be that guy but I have since seen the error of my ways lmao

[@boomersdelightvv7201]

Nobody else on you tube has ever mentioned that mixolydian truth before. Thanks again Stitch

[@mikeburns9585]

Ok, I've heard about the mixing the major and minor pentatonic for years. These 4 steps brought me here. This is the schiznet brother. I play the minor in two positions. I see this use so I will do the work to fit this to the other position. You have taken the most common concept introducing people to improv, built it adding the maj 3 to the pentatonic then introducing the b5. then sharing the major minor concept. Thank you so much you have changed alot of what I've been playing for ALL these years. If I didn't thank you I wholeheartily do it now. Thanks Thanks Thanks.

[@Tonedefdom]

I think I've progressed more with my blues in the past week than I had in 5 years. You're a good man Ian, don't let all the others tell you otherwise

[@jarodjovi]

Thanks for posting this series. This is so far the best blues solo expanded explanation ever. So easy to follow. Not only teach you to play but tells you why and why not to play this way ! Thumbs up !

[@PE1978C]

Great lesson! One important note about the "BB Box". He always played it up a whole step from the key. In other words, he played it at the B minor position if he was playing Blues in A. That was because he wanted his first finger on the root, and not his third finger. This position also gave him some interesting places to bend.

[@mjjames2442]

Hmmm, I’m slightly confused.

[@ianmara1387]

If you're confused ... search for "StichMethod BB box" - there's another youtube video where this point is addressed.

[@anejo333]

You could do that all day and I could listen to you teach all day. Thanks again Ian

[@bryanmannoia8410]

thank you once again. you continue to remove the mystery from the pentatonic scale and soloing in general. you, steve stein, and dweezil zappa are my favorite teachers on youtube. don't worry sean, you are number 4. you guys make learning lead fun.

[@imlostinthewoods]

This was a tremendously useful lesson, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I've been playing for a long time but really studying for a much shorter time. Every so often I come across someone such as yourself who opens up a completely new line of thinking but also presents it in a very approachable way. I appreciate you sharing and will check out your other lessons as well. Happy New Year!

[@chilidog73]

I love the hard facts in this video. Not alot of "ideas" and fluff. It's " use this here, use that there" etc. Very helpful.

[@seandaniel23]

I thought you said I was your favorite guitar player :(

[@rayross997]

Excellent explanation, you made it so very easy to grasp. Some people make the seemingly complicated simple while some make the simple complicated. I always seek the most simple way to understand something, Thanks very much Ian, you and Sean make a twosome that ain't gruesome, keep up the great teaching.

[@jessicacabrales6820]

😂so funny 🤣

[@peppyharley6901]

What about when your playing a major blues?

[@chriscorona4938]

OMG. this answered so many questions as to why I could play major, and minor, and sometimes mix the two but never get the Hendrix and Clapton riffs. Thank you so much.

[@matthewstundtner5224]

It's all starting to make sense ian. After about 5 times through all the "blues mindset vids" Thank you!!!!

[@Owl-qh2rh]

Wow! So cool to have this explained in an understandable way... Well done and Thank you, bless 🙏🕊️

[@guillermocereijidolopez4657]

This channel is basically a guitar red pill, loving it.

[@JohnnyBgood548]

Excellent lesson! I wish i had found your lessons about 5 years ago! Thank you Sir!

[@roddiculousguitar]

This video is excellent. I've been watching so many on this subject... And just as I'm starting to get it this one made so much sense.

[@downhill240]

This was a little over my head but I still got something out of it. Thanks for sharing!

[@peterward9446]

*_Pure educative genius...please PLEESE - never stop doing this kind of stuff ..._*

[@haroldvondenstein]

Wow....you really stretch me, man....thank you....it's the theory I never payed attention to over the last 30 years or so (maybe 50) . Now I get it....thanks for being so good at explaining the theory.....you make it interesting and so I stay to listen. It really makes a difference...wow....confidence levels growing....where I have been by accident before is now being shown to me as a "for certain" road map....very exciting to get this. :) Signed up for your course and will take it once I complete this playlist.

[@BlickInStead]

Your thorough 'spailin' of such precepts is invaluable.

[@joncelesia6995]

Excellent. I can't believe what just happened for me. I've noodled on the guitar for decades, but never really studied it. I'm just starting to get serious about making progress and now see how the minor or major framework gives signposts. Minor pent gets boring fast. Now you just opened a world of accent and it's a blast. I'm just learning about you. As a teacher myself, you truly stand out in the crowd. Thank you and cheers!

[@petermaine]

Welcome back, Ian! Glad you're feeling better.

[@19Eleven71]

I just want to say I've watched your videos and most times I'll rewatch them a week, month or year later. I always get a little more out of your lessons when I rewatch. Kind of like using the butter knife to get the last of the peanut butter out of the jar. You always know there's a little more in there. Thanks Ian.

[@dr.weeniehutjr]

I love how you focus on the chords, because I like many guitarists have learned the "play the root scale when you solo" method and as I progress am finding that if I had learned to solo over chord changes in the first place I would be finding it much easier now. Thank you for teaching people the right way, it's really a great thing

[@mrmr314]

Well as you know you can play each chord's penta scale if you wish, or just the base penta over the lot, or variations of minor, major, mixo and others. In reality you could play every single sharp and flat with the penta notes fast and it would sound okay so long as you start and end it right (you just jump out of it and land on the base chord and it would work).

[@dr.weeniehutjr]

@@mrmr314 oh no you’re definitely right, I misspoke. By root scale I meant the key of the song. A lot of us learn to just play the scale of the key rather than outline chords individually with those scales. It’s a hard box to break out of

[@joelspinale8681]

I accidentally stumbled upon one of your videos while doing some research on the Phish tune "Stash". I will be watching much more of your channel; thank you very much for your videos. Well done.

[@briancapdevila3155]

I had a "aha" moment! Thanks and cheers from Canada.

[@cris1186]

I realize I'm coming late to the game....but I wish I knew this stuff years ago. Excellent teaching!! I read some of the comments below saying "this is so simple" and "players want you to think they're doing more than they are". I would argue that the great players really are doing a lot and it is somewhat complex; you just make it easy to grasp. Thank you....I'll catch up eventually.

[@Rebellovw]

awesome stuff - thanks so much! You are officially my favorite teacher - and I've had a bunch.

[@Gradowhat]

Really great stuff Ian! I had already been playing some of these concepts but did not fully understand how or why they worked. A nice bend of the 2nd/6th to a 4th/6th also works nicely on the turnaround

[@annupborrge6273]

You really are a very good teacher sir. I like ur teaching and channel a lot...👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@Brettnomind]

Such great vids!! (i watched all 4)Thank you. I've been looking for this info for a long time. It really helped me to understand the use of the right notes at the right time. I'm gonna go watch some more now! 😀. Thanks again

[@dreaminginnoother]

just stumbled into this video. You are good clear teacher.

[@anthonymitchellalice]

I have been thinking about this very thing for a while. When I started guitar all those years ago, blues/rock & roll guitar licks were a mix of the minor and major pentatonic scales. Now I always hear that blues is mixolydian, but people always add minor 3rd notes, and in my OCD brain, it is no longer mixolydian, but a mix of the two pentatonic scales.

[@JesseRacine]

Another great lesson, Ian, glad to see you back posting!

[@dragmio]

I watched all your videos and I must say you have the best blues lessons, given in the best order.

[@rigfish-theguitarplayersge7342]

Excellent demystification of 12-bar blues soloing. Sincere thank you to you, @StichMethod Guitar.

[@Sumnls]

Thank you so much for what you do! You’ve helped me tremendously

[@chasemcclendon9659]

I've been waiting for you to make another video! Great lesson and happy you feel better. Keep it up

[@KevinIlsen]

Hey Ian . . . I'm going through the "Blues Primer in Order" playlist. I'd watched many of these individual videos before, but I wanted to review them in sequence prior to the upcoming Master Class. Several times in this video (and in the description) you strongly recommend first watching all 3 "blues trick" videos, as well as the "blues mindset" video. However, in the playlist sequence, this video comes in before the "blues mindset" video. (This one is #8 of 17; "blues soloing mindset" is #12 of 17.) Just thought I'd point that out in case you want to move this one in the playlist.

[@chasekemp]

Thank you so much for making it so cut and clear. Ive been on a journey of mixing minor and major and this helps tie it together with my basic pentatonic knowledge. GOOD shit man, keep it up

[@MrJonguess]

I enjoy both your videos and Shawns. Thank you! Keep them coming!

[@JeanPaulAussel-illustrateur]

Tout à fait excellentes ces 4 vidéos qui expliquent si bien l'architecture majeure/mineure du blues à la guitare. Et ce prof est cool !

[@johnwilliams3197]

great stuff please continue the lessons they are practical and easy to follow

[@donaldwhitner4339]

Makes the most sense to me, saying that you are mixing the minor and major but the exception is if you have a chord progression that is not a strictly blues progression then, the modal based or key based approach works for me. I say learn them all if you can, life is short but live it large. Great video on an important subject!!

[@cherrybullet1]

Thanks for this simple to follow instruction.Awesome!

[@ignaciohdez.dealba8788]

Stich.... awesome! Really good trick... seriously, have a good day! Mediterranean regards!

[@2000SkyView]

Sweet! I like hitting the 2 and bending it to the (flat)3d then going to the 1, now I understand why this works.

[@ajitede5583]

Another complex made brilliantly simple. I'm much better because of you. Thanks! LJS

[@TheJawtech]

OK now i have to go watch 1-3 but I've been following you for a bit and you prepared me well for this...I get it.

[@dougp2917]

Nice! Making improv sound great and look so easy in one position!

[@seanmccarthy6029]

Awesome! Asked a question and received this video! EVERYONE LISTEN. This video could be labeled MAJOR AND MINOR PENTATONIC SOLOING! StichMethod is amazing! Great lesson!

[@colincannon8072]

Ian, you are awesome man. Thank you.

[@khaley9562]

awesome video def helps make sense with combining the major and minor especially with adding the major 3rd..... which I have been using but never seemed to get it to sound just right. you added more dimension in it for me thnx

[@mattquinn8022]

Best teacher on YT!!

[@paddyodriscoll8648]

You could also call it a mixolydian scale with a passing minor 3rd tone, which is more logical because a sustained minor 3rd over a dominant 7th chord is a tonal clash. This is pure semantics at best due to a misunderstanding of what makes a scale.

[@brazilhead]

ANOTHER great video! Thanks and all the best

[@tomy.1846]

Another great lesson! Excellent examples! :) Thanks!

[@danielcourcelles5234]

hi body, i learn two good things with you, the music and passion of music. Your explainations are awesome, clear and easy to understand. THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@Skipjacktunainacan]

Wow , great lesson , once again . Thanks heaps

[@mcquinn01]

If you overlap A minor and A major pentatonic you get an 8 note scale that includes all the notes of A mixolydian. So it has all the notes that you would expect to find in extended an A7 chords (A9, A13, A7/6, ect - even the 11th if you want it). But what's more is that the same scale also includes all the notes of `D` mixolydian too (so 2 mixolydians in the same scale!). This means it is useful for playing over chord IV plus extended chord IVs. Its actually the `D` bebop dominant scale so would be suited to chord IV (in A major which is D7), but you have to resolve the bebob passing note since it is a `c#` which is toxic to a D7 chord. Like you say though, in blues this combined scale its just a palette of notes for you to choose from and also as you demonstrate its important to contrast minor against major and not use the scale in its whole (which maybe ok in jazz). I think Rory Gallagher, more than anyone I can think of, made very deliberate use of straight mixolydian lines in his playing, along with regular blues phrases. Personally, I only ever use the chromatic scale :) Thank you for an interesting video.

[@oicsaywhat]

Great lesson , you put a lot of perspective in it for me thank you

[@putusativa5007]

you are such a good teacher, thank you sir! 😀👍

[@filipefernandes9910]

I am french with a very bad english but i can affim you are a very good teacher very well explained even to my very bad english congratulations ;)

[@CountrySingerWannabe]

a better way to define the mixolydian scale is to say to play the major scale from the 5th tone. So the G mixolydian is actually the C major starting from the G (5th tone).

[@arthurmee]

Yes, true enough, but say you wanted to play C mixolydian. I just flatten the 7th tone. I guess, using your method, you could just play F major scale.

[@ParsevalMusic]

After 4 french horns to the left 4 french horns to the right I subscribed :)) btw great video!

[@RLB52]

Great video for blues chord change. 😊

[@KDStryker]

It's been said many times. Thank you very much for the awesome lessons.

[@livinginvictoriaBC.]

This is great information, GREAT lesson, it's really sorting out in my mind about major and minor pent scales. Your are a TERRIFIC teacher. Very impressed.

[@StichMethodGuitar]

Thanks Terry!

[@dogxhot]

Thanks for a breath of fresh air and a touch of sanity. For a song to be mixolydian both the scale and chords should be derived from the mixolydian scale. So C mixolydian has the notes C D E F G A Bb. It would have these chords C Dm F Gm Am Bb. Any dominant 7th Eg C7 would kill the mixolydian feel. Listen to the old pop song “If I were a carpenter” for a classic use of this scale with the correctly harmonised chords- It’s a long , long way from blues. The whole subject of modes is a pigs breakfast on you tube .

[@aka4146]

Yes it make's sense ,I was using the pentatonic patterns all of them up and down the neck.wasn't thinking of positon 4 in side of first position. not realizing the major 4 position could be used there.great thats fun fun fun.Thanks and i didn't even have to pay for this info.

[@davidhoxit4274]

Thanks Ian...Great content as usual!

[@jcwilky]

cool lesson and made a lot of sense. Love when I stumble on a vid that cuts through all the confusion. Thanks for sharing! Will check out the rest of your vids. (Y) (Y)

[@donaldbutcher1260]

Really good one Stitch.

[@colindayo]

Fab lesson - just what I needed, thanks!

[@mohammadrezamaulana28]

nice prs soapbar, always loved the p90 bright sound! and great helpful video, liked! ;)

[@nicolopaganini1608]

Aloha to the bearded maestro, Great insight... There is no blues in any of the modes of do re mi fa so la ti do. It's my African brother sensibility... the blues... What an epic journey... so much respect for them..

[@karolgdynia]

That was eye opening videos for me. Thanks :)

[@lamper2]

Glad i stumbled in-nice ways of looking at things

[@SaminWisconsin-et3ve]

you blow my mind . Thank you!!!

[@stinkwhistle756]

Love stuff like this. Keep it up Dad!

[@mrmr314]

Thanks for that. I've been playing a mix of minor, major and mixo all along and didn't even realise it. You look like you've been sick & are under the weather. Nice one getting yourself in action to post anyway.

[@barflytom3273]

watched them all. great lessons. thanks.

[@jnelson508]

Incredibly helpful. Thanks!

[@SHarris64]

That little BB box bit makes it sound Country-ish... Cool. :)

[@EDGARDOUX1701]

Man!!! The TRUTH REVEALED!!!! Thank you!!!

[@ironhorse44mag]

great teaching methods, opening up the road to the many lanes of travel to successful music! do you have any ideas for scales with open tuning for songs like the rain song?

[@michaellagana2276]

Awesome as usual Great content

[@nickmcinnis]

Thanks. I enjoy and appreciate your videos.

[@smileyfdave]

Thanks. You help me 'get' it so I can do deliberately rather than tripping over it....

[@BlackMath69]

If you treat the blues as non diatonic and each transition to each I IV V chord as a key change you can definitely use the mixolydian . Freddy King and Little Milton use it effectively in many tunes.

[@BlackMath69]

StichMethod Guitar true it's a moving target. For instance An A blues with A Dorian over the IV or G major technically is mixolydian but only on the IV (D7) hence why pentatonics fit (just losing half steps intervals) Moving beyond scales to the interval of the moment which I have heard you speak upon before is where it's at.

[@BlackMath69]

Also another way to think about it is your major BB box is also Box 2 of F# minor pentatonic

[@andrewptob]

Thanks Ian! Your lessons are very helpful!

[@aeksinsang932]

It does sound good if you hold out or emphasize the chord tones- Robben Ford is a big mixolydian user

[@bluespanda7518]

Merci...!!! I was trying to play This scale and thinking that was not sounding that bluesy ....C'est plus clair

[@FisVii77]

That was a great lesson Thanks Ian

[@ianlmackay]

Very accessible Channel,, intermediate player..making progress thank you!

[@jonathanmcpherson102]

Really good stuff. I learned something.

[@papilovestorock2023]

Thank you for this 💚

[@LacedBacon]

I never even heard of a blue mixo scale before. But I've always associated the mixolydian scale with Grateful Dead style music. I''m definitely gonna incorporate that major pentatonic b.b. boxtrick when playing blues solos. Cool lesson brah!

[@58VOSLP]

Yes, the Dead use this alot. Fire on the mountain and Sugaree both and many others